


You Don't Seem Like The Type

by animalwild084



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Burlesque Club, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Burlesque, M/M, Slow Burn, bartender!tsukki, dancer!yamaguchi, ish, musician!tsukki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 17:45:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12917013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animalwild084/pseuds/animalwild084
Summary: Yamaguchi has always dreamed of being a professional dancer, and has wished to be a professional singer on top of that. One day he finally works up the courage to do follow that dream. There are just a couple more obstacles that he has to get through.A fic inspired by the movie Burlesque.





	You Don't Seem Like The Type

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this about 3 years ago, and I signed up for the hqbb in the hopes that I'd be able to finally finish it XD  
> I don't even know how many pages I've written and I'm not even close to finishing. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> beta'd by the wonderful Vi (@vivid-nemesis on tumblr) and helljuss (check her out on insta and tumblr!) drew some absolutely stunning art that I will probs link at the end of the fic

Yamaguchi wipes the tears out of his eyes as he throws clothes and belongings into the duffle bag on his bed. Spending the rest of his life in a nowhere town, with a job he hates and a boss that doesn’t pay him? No thanks. Yamaguchi’s had enough.

Looking back on the past twenty-seven years of his life, he wouldn’t say it’s been inherently bad. There were some excellent moments. Spending nights at the bar with Kiyoko, and watching her and Yachi circle around each other. Being able to laugh at Saeko’s antics and share stories with Akiteru.

But Yamaguchi doesn’t want to spend the rest of his foreseeable future waiting tables and reminding his boss about the paycheque.

So on Sunday morning, he purchases a ticket for the next bus to L.A. He knows that moving to the city of Los Angeles is going to be hard, and a big change from Iowa, but he honestly thinks this would be his best shot at performing.

He honestly can’t really remember when he started singing and dancing; but he does remember one day when he was seven, taking the day off school to spend it with his mother. They had danced in the kitchen all afternoon, and he remembers his mom singing along with the radio, the whole memory filled with bubbling laughter and radiant smiles. When his dad had come home from work, he had reprimanded his mom for letting Yamaguchi stay home, but his father had eventually given in and just watched them dance with a fond smile.

Yamaguchi always recalls that memory with nostalgia, and it’s one of the few that has kept him going this long.

But as Yamaguchi steps onto the bus, the only thing on his mind is the excitement of starting over in a new place, with the hopes of singing and dancing on stage.

* * *

One month, twenty-six days and twelve hours have passed since Yamaguchi first arrived in L.A and he’s had an average of three job interviews and two auditions a day, and he still can’t land a stable position.

The only thing relatively close to success that he’s managed to do was when he pulled some rich businessman named Kuroo Tetsurou out of the way of a speeding car. The man had been aggressive in his thanks and had forced his business card onto Yamaguchi, and Yamaguchi had been too scared to throw it out.

That was three weeks ago, and while Yamaguchi has been tempted to ‘repay his debt’ by asking the other man for a job, Yamaguchi wants to find his own way onto the stages of L.A. Although, right now, Yamaguchi feels bone-tired and hopeless. His late nights and even earlier mornings are catching up to him. But he doesn’t dare relax in the apartment he’s rented. Fear of racking up an electricity bill on top of his rent keeps Yamaguchi job-searching longer every day.

On his twenty-seventh day, Yamaguchi can’t ignore the lack of funds in his wallet or his bank account any longer. He’s thankful he had the foresight to pay next month’s rent, but he needs to find a job fast if he wants to keep eating.

It’s around eleven thirty, when Yamaguchi finally decides to give his legs a rest and takes a seat on a curb of some street he’s already forgotten the name of. His feet ache, his eyes are tired, and his back is sore. Yamaguchi contemplates the consequences of just falling asleep on the curb until the end of time when a burst of loud music calls his attention to the building across the street.

The man standing in front of the doors is dressed so strikingly that Yamaguchi can’t help but stare at his bewildering getup. He’s wearing an incredibly short pink tutu, held up by snazzy red suspenders while red and white striped thigh highs cover his legs, and black ankle-high heels adorn his feet. A bare chest and a beret overtop his shaved head complete the eccentric ensemble. Even from this distance, Yamaguchi can make out his sculpted chest and intimidating stare.

The door to the building abruptly opens, drawing not only Yamaguchi’s attention but the bald man’s as well. Music once again fills the street, and a stocky man stands at the door, his frame silhouetted by the dim lights of the club.

Yamaguchi is barely able to make out the man’s voice above the music. “Tanaka! What’re you doing out here? You’re on next, let’s go.”

The two men walk back into the building, albeit one unwilling, and the closing door cuts off the bald man’s, Tanaka’s, protests.

Yamaguchi stands up and approaches the building, curiosity taking over as he gives it a hesitant inspection.

Pink, cursive neon lights spell out _Karasuno Lounge_ over the double doors. A staircase leads down to an awaiting set of doors, posters proclaiming the place to be ‘ _The Best view on Miyagi Strip_ ’ covering the walls.

Yamaguchi hesitantly approaches the entrance and is able to get a quick glance at a stage before a voice calls his attention to his left.

“Fifteen dollars if you wanna see the show babycakes.”

Yamaguchi stares at the man sitting in the ticket booth, hand out, eyelids darkened with makeup and dark hair defying gravity. A dyed-blonde tuft sits in the middle of his forehead, accentuating the tall height of his gravity-defying hair.

The man takes Yamaguchi’s stunned silence for confusion and huffs, “They don’t call it the Best View on Miyagi Strip for nothing. So if you want to experience the best night of your life, fifteen dollars.” He shakes his outstretched hand.

Making a snap decision, Yamaguchi takes his wallet and doesn’t even hesitate to hand the man the last of his cash.

“Enjoy the show!” The man’s sultry reply follows Yamaguchi as he steps over the threshold.

The glance Yamaguchi had managed to sneak earlier did little to prepare him for the sight that awaited him.

The dark wood creates a warm, cozy, fun atmosphere and the chandeliers with opaque glass shades and the fairy lights around various pillars create just enough light to see the patrons. Brighter lights are used to illuminate the stage, drawing all attention to it. Yamaguchi falls in love with it instantly.

Small, circular tables are littered all over the main floor, with more private booths elevated along the back wall.

The tables and chairs create more obstacles for Yamaguchi as he makes his way to the raised bar on the opposite side of the entrance, forcing his attention away from the dancers on the stage so he won’t trip. 

It takes him a little longer than it should to walk across the floor, but the dancers are so captivating. The light bounces off their skin and their bodies glimmer. Each dancer moves with a fluidity that spoke of years of experience, and Yamaguchi wants. He knows he could be up there, pour just as much enthusiasm and skill as they could. He’d be willing to trade his soul for the chance to dance up there, to prove himself.

Twelve dancers in suggestive and sequined outfits prowl around a pale-skinned, silver-haired man who’s singing the lyrics to the song. His appearance is deceptive in the best of ways though. His voice fills the area; the rich tones contrast with his lean frame.

When Yamaguchi finally makes it to the bar, the song has changed, and the pale singer is replaced with six dancers, dancing to a lively beat, their facial expressions and body language drawing boisterous laughter from the audience.

No matter how he wills it otherwise, Yamaguchi can’t help but feel bitter as he watches the dancer up on stage. All he sees is someone else dancing where he could be.

“I have to get up there,” he sighs with longing.

“Well, you’re not up there. You’re down here. So would you like anything to drink?”

The unfamiliar voice startles Yamaguchi, and he spins around, coming face to face with a bartender wearing a black vest and bowler. His brown eyes and sleepy expression look just a tad annoyed.

Yamaguchi blushes over the fact that someone overheard his statement, before answering the man’s question. “No, I’m good. Thank you.”

The bartender starts mixing a drink anyways, placing a tall glass of amber liquid in front of Yamaguchi.

“You may not want it, but you look like you need it.”

Yamaguchi starts to protest, but the bartender shakes his head.

“It’s on the house. Consider it a ‘Welcome to Los Angeles.’”

Yamaguchi gives a wry laugh, reaching for the glass. “Is it that obvious?”

“Kinda,” the bartender shrugged. “Although I’m sure you’ll fit right in soon enough.”

“Pretty sure I’ll fit in once I find a job.” Yamaguchi glances at the bartender, noting his surprised expression.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to ramble!!” he quickly blurts, flustered.

The bartender smiles reassuringly. “I may be able to help with finding a job. You want to get up on that stage, right?” Yamaguchi gives a shy nod. “Go through that door,” he points towards a door to the right of the stage. “It’ll take you backstage. Ask for Suga, and tell them Ennoshita sent you. Suga will be able to do something about getting you onstage.”

Yamaguchi turns to face the bartender- Ennoshita- his expression like that of a child on Christmas.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” Yamaguchi blurts before jogging through the crowd, towards the door Ennoshita pointed out.

Yamaguchi would be lying if he said he isn’t nervous. Every failed interview pushes itself to the forefront of his mind, reminding him of his inadequacy. But the hope that Suga would at least consider him if he mentioned Ennoshita burns the doubts away as Yamaguchi walks through the door, entering backstage.

Noticing the chaos and number of people backstage, Yamaguchi begins to lose hope again. It doesn’t help when he realizes he has no idea who Suga is. Yamaguchi considers asking one of the many people he sees flurrying backstage, but the majority of them are wearing headsets and huffing sharp-worded orders into them.

So Yamaguchi stands flush with the wall, watching people scurry back and forth and trying to avoid getting in their way.

The first person to notice Yamaguchi is a stocky man, who walks with an air of calm confidence that cuts through the chaos. He stops in front of Yamaguchi and looks up at him, a feeling of familiarity washing through Yamaguchi’s mind as he registers the man’s face.

“You’re not supposed to be back here,” he says with a frown. “Is there a specific reason you are?”

Yamaguchi recognizes his voice as that of the man who had yelled at the dancer with the tutu. “U-um, I’m looking for… Suga?”

The man regards Yamaguchi suspiciously, before calling over his shoulder, not breaking eye contact with Yamaguchi, “Suga! Come here for a sec!”

No verbal reply comes, but a man with silver hair and a beauty mark under his left eye appears. “Yeah, Daichi?”

Yamaguchi just stares in awe at Suga, trying to align the performance he had seen on stage with the slender- and slightly shorter- man in front of him.

“Someone here to speak with you, and it’s somehow so urgent that he decided to come backstage.”

A slight frown appears on Suga’s face as he turns to Yamaguchi. “Look, I really appreciate the effort, but customers aren’t allowed backstage, and we’re trying to run a show- “

“Ennoshita sent me,” Yamaguchi interrupts boldly. “Ennoshita sent me, and he said I should talk to you about getting a job here. He recommended…that you were the one to talk to.” Yamaguchi internally winces at his rambling, and despite the fact that he starts his sentence with confidence, the continued stares of Daichi and Suga make him lose some of his determination. But he holds a hopeful breath as Suga and Daichi blink, and share a look.

“I’m really sorry, but we have more than enough staff right now, and we aren’t looking to hi-“ Suga’s interrupted again, but this time it’s from another, the more distressed sounding voice that Yamaguchi can’t identify.

Suga sighs, him and Daichi running off, Daichi throwing a quick, “Sorry, have to go!” over his shoulder before Yamaguchi loses sight of them.

Yamaguchi feels despondent. His best, and possibly last chance of getting a job in L.A and he blew it.

He walks back to the bar, posture defeated, but he intends to wholly thank Ennoshita for his kind intentions. Those plans change, however, when Yamaguchi spots Ennoshita at the bar, having a heated discussion with one of his coworkers.

His coworker is a built man, with deep-set eyes, blonde hair with two black stripes around his head and a thunderous expression.

Yamaguchi forgoes his thanks and leaves them to their discussion, turning to head towards the exit, his tired body making itself known once again.

Yamaguchi never makes it to the exit. He’s disrupted when the man Ennoshita had been talking to storms past Yamaguchi, their shoulders bumping and Yamaguchi stumbling into the patrons at the nearest table. Yamaguchi chances a look back at Ennoshita and sees him dejectedly sigh before going back to mixing drinks.

Yamaguchi’s ruminating is interrupted by someone at the table he bumped into yelling in his ear, “Finally! I’ve been waiting for some service for the past half hour! I swear there’s no decent staff working here. Two Jameson’s on the rocks, an apple martini, and a round of Blackflies,” the man demands. When he notices that his request doesn’t cause any movement in Yamaguchi, he becomes even more irritated, “Well? Hop to it!”

Only the years Yamaguchi has worked in the service industry, and the bone-aching tiredness stops him from voicing the rude comment that springs to his mind. Yamaguchi doesn’t want to cause a scene, and getting the man his drinks would allow him to thank Ennoshita, so Yamaguchi makes his way to the bar.

“Two Jameson’s on the Rocks, and appletini, and three Blackflies please.”

Ennoshita turns towards Yamaguchi, the surprise evident on his face. “Hey! How’d it go with Suga? Pretty well I’m guessing, considering you’re ordering drinks. Or maybe it didn’t go well at all.”

Yamaguchi averts Ennoshita’s gaze, his eyes naturally focusing on the stage as he grabs a tray lying on the counter. “Ah, no. The talk with Suga didn’t go well; he said you guys have more than enough staff members. But that’s not why I’m ordering the drinks. Someone at one of the tables mistook me for an employee, and I decided to thank you, for pointing me in the right direction, while I grabbed his drinks.”

Ennoshita frowns, “That’s not for you to worry about, and you look like you’re about to collapse, you should go home and rest.”

“It’s not hurting anyone if I do serve a couple of drinks, I’m pretty sure I’m helping you out. Besides, I’m worried that if I do sit down, I’ll pass out, so I think it’s safer if I keep moving,” Yamaguchi responds with a laugh and a shrug.

The frown doesn’t leave Ennoshita’s face as he pushes the completed drinks towards Yamaguchi. “Hey, what job did you have before you came to L.A?” he asks.

Yamaguchi pauses, trying to follow where that question came from. “I worked at a local bar in Iowa. For about six years. Why?”

Ennoshita gives another defeated sigh, “One of our waiters just walked out on us, and while we might have enough people to keep this place running, we don’t have ‘more than enough employees,’ no matter what Suga says. So, I guess what I’m asking is whether you’re good with working here for tonight? You wouldn’t be on stage, but if you tell me your name, you could keep the tips you get.”

“I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi. And I’m pretty sure I’ll be indebted to you forever.” Yamaguchi says with a smile so broad, he can feel his muscles stretch.

He places the drinks on the tray and starts working.

* * *

The rest of the night passes in a blur of drinks, sore legs, glitter, dancing and music. When Yamaguchi isn’t serving customers, his eyes are glued to the stage, his brain trying to memorize every tiny detail of every dance. It’s honestly some of the most spectacular numbers he has ever seen. Even if he is a little disappointed that all the dancers lip-sing.

While most customers don’t complain too much that Yamaguchi’s attention is more focused on the acts than their drinks, there is one customer who doesn’t seem happy that Yamaguchi is working. Later, Yamaguchi finds out that the customer is a regular sight at _Karasuno_ , and his name is Iwaizumi Hajime.

He had entered the club during a comedy act that was performed by the man from the ticket booth. (While Yamaguchi preferred the dances, he couldn’t deny that the act was good.) Instead of taking one of the tables in front of the stage, he sat in one of the more private booths along the wall.

When Yamaguchi went to take his drink order, he passed Yamaguchi his credit card, said his order, then asked for Oikawa.

More than a little confused and surprised by the abrupt manner in which the customer had spoken, Yamaguchi walks up to Ennoshita in a daze.

“Umm…”

Ennoshita just takes the card from Yamaguchi’s hand and huffs, “Iwaizumi Hajime. He’s a regular here, and he always orders a Dewar’s rocks. And a bottle of champagne if he’s got friends with him.”

“He also asked for Oikawa?” Yamaguchi says, perplexed.

“Oikawa’s one of the dancer’s here. He danced to the song Dr. Long John earlier. He and Iwaizumi are kind of in a relationship.” Ennoshita answers with a grimace.

“Kind of?”

“Well, there’s a conflict of interest as Iwaizumi is a real estate agent hired by some big-shot businessman to buy out _Karasuno_. Little to say they argue quite a bit.” Ennoshita passes the Dewar’s rocks to Yamaguchi, and Yamaguchi gives it to Iwaizumi with the message that someone will let Oikawa know that he’s waiting for him. As Yamaguchi turns to leave, he hears Iwaizumi give a huff of amusement before calling out, “Hey, kid.”

Yamaguchi turns in surprise and sees that Iwaizumi is indeed addressing him.

“What’s your name? I haven’t seen you around here before.”

“I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi, and I just started working here tonight.”

Iwaizumi turns back to his drink, and Yamaguchi heads back to the bar. Just in time to see Ennoshita push a tray full of a variety of drinks towards him.

“These are for the dancers. Don’t worry about whose drink is whose, just walk through the doors to backstage, head left until you hit a set of circular stairs and walk up. Remember to let at least one of the dancers know that Iwaizumi’s here, looking for Oikawa. And the dancers may be a bit...unique? But they mean well.”

With Ennoshita’s words in his ears, Yamaguchi tries to hide his excitement and heads backstage once more.

He’s ready for the flurry of activity this time, but it’s a little harder to make it to his destination without spilling any of the drinks.

When he does make it to the dancers’ room, he only gets a glimpse of makeup, vanity mirrors and costumes before he’s surrounded by glittering, toned bodies. The dancers all seem to know which drink is theirs and there’s only a couple of elbows in guts.

Not many of the dancers notice Yamaguchi. A couple side-eye him, and one dancer, who’s shorter than Yamaguchi with bright-orange hair waves at him. Yamaguchi waves back, but he’s too intimidated by the sheer confidence of some of the dancers to start a conversation. Not to mention that all the dancers are drop-dead-gorgeous.

Most of the crowd clears away, drinks in hand, and one dancer remains, with windswept, black hair and bored green eyes, and Yamaguchi remembers to pass along the message from Iwaizumi.

“Um. Excuse me, but Iwaizumi is looking for Oikawa?”

The dancer’s expression doesn’t change, but he nods, “I’ll tell him.”

Relief floods through Yamaguchi’s as he thanks the dancer, grabs his tray and heads back down to the floor.

Ennoshita comments on Yamaguchi making it back alive, and the rest of the night passes by uneventfully. People start to trickle out, Suga and Daichi take Iwaizumi into a different room-presumably an office- and the performances wind down. There are only a couple stragglers by six am, and Ennoshita pulls Yamaguchi to the side while he’s cleaning up, Yamaguchi’s movements lethargic.

“Yamaguchi, you were a great help tonight, I don’t think I would’ve kept my sanity if you hadn’t taken matters into your own hands and started working. Thank you so much, and I know Suga said we don’t need any more employees, but I need all the help I can get. Plus, Suga has put me in charge of wait staff so,” Ennoshita shrugs with a sly smirk on his face. “We’ll figure out payment tomorrow. You need to get some rest! Come by at seven pm tomorrow, and we’ll talk more.”

Yamaguchi doesn’t even try to work up the energy to properly thank Ennoshita. He just smiles, bows and heads home. He doesn’t remember the walk back, but he does remember setting the alarm for five pm before passing out on his bed.

* * *

Yamaguchi starts working at _Karasuno_ every night, his body eventually adjusting to nightlife, and he begins to fit in and gets to know the other employees, the dancers, and the band members. Although Yamaguchi gets to know of Suga and Daichi, he doesn’t get to know them personally, except for one interaction during his sixth shift that left him reeling with surprise.

Yamaguchi’s shift had just started, and he had finished placing a customer’s order when he turned around and caught sight of Suga and Daichi, both enjoying a drink at the bar and both staring incredulously at Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi gave them a hesitant smile and was trying to think of something to say to break the tension when Suga turned to Ennoshita.

“So. Who put you in charge of hiring employees?”

Yamaguchi looked away in embarrassment as Ennoshita replied, “You did. You put me in charge of all the wait staff, and Kyoutani walked out in the middle of a shift. Yamaguchi just picked up a tray and started working. He’s been a huge help.”

Suga turned a critical eye towards Yamaguchi, giving him a once over. He walked closer to Yamaguchi, closing the distance between them and invading Yamaguchi’s personal space. Yamaguchi became flustered, especially when Suga started hiking his shorts up even higher, and making other minor adjustments to his outfit.

“Relax,” Suga said with an easy smile. “You’ve got the legs and a great bod. You’ve just gotta learn to use them. Better tips.” He stated in a conspiratorial whisper. He then pats Yamaguchi on the cheek and gives his shoulder a light shove, urging him back to work.

All the other times Yamaguchi sees Suga, he’s talking to the dancers or Daichi, looking extremely busy, if not a little stressed.

Despite the eccentric staff and dancers, Yamaguchi enjoys working at Karasuno immensely. He finds the quirks of everyone who works there just adds to the fun atmosphere, and he does get to see them practice and perform their dance numbers up close.

Yamaguchi often practices said dances whenever he has time at his apartment, and sometimes he dances along with the performers. Although that has garnered him some strange looks from customers.

Once, Hinata and Lev caught him practicing one of their dance numbers as he cleaned up for the night, and at first, Yamaguchi was embarrassed at having been caught, but the two dancers were so enthusiastic over the idea of Yamaguchi dancing that they immediately offered some advice and tips. Their enthusiasm more than made up for the confusing tips they gave. Yamaguchi felt a bit overwhelmed by them, and their suggestions were making him more confused, but Akaashi and Bokuto walked into the room, saving Yamaguchi from further embarrassment. Sort of.

“Hey hey hey! Are you guys showing Yamaguchi some sick dance moves?!” Bokuto hollers, breaking off his conversation with Akaashi.

Hinata responds in kind, “Yeah! Me ‘n’ Lev saw Yamaguchi practicing the Wagon Wheel dance number, and we started to give him some tips! Like when to go ‘gwah’ instead of ‘bam!’”

Akaashi gives Yamaguchi a look of understanding pity.

“Hey hey, does that mean you’re gonna try out for a new dance spot?!”

Yamaguchi turns towards Bokuto, only to see his wide, gold eyes riveted to Yamaguchi’s face. Yamaguchi fights a blush as he responds, “What?”

Akaashi’s the one who answers his question, “Yahaba, Inuoka and Kunimi are no longer going to be dancing at _Karasuno Lounge_ , and Suga and Daichi have decided to hold auditions for a new dancer at the end of the month.”

“A new dancer??” Yamaguchi asks, in a voice that did not sound like his own.

“Yeah, it kinda sucks, ‘cause Suga and Daichi are only thinking of hiring one new dancer, so we’d only have ten dancers instead of twelve.” Bokuto continues to lament the loss of the dancers, as he and Akaashi walk towards the exit, and Yamaguchi watches them leave, flabbergasted and elated.

Yamaguchi turns towards Lev and Hinata, both of whom are watching him with uncontained excitement. Yamaguchi takes a deep breath and says, “I have time to practice, right?”

Lev and Hinata explode in joy, exclamations of “You’re gonna audition??!” and “I can’t wait to dance with you!” jumble over each other as Yamaguchi laughs in delight.

* * *

Yamaguchi spends the next month memorizing all the dance numbers and asking any dancer that has a moment to spare if they could critique his dances. He listens to the songs on repeat until he can sing them all in his sleep, and he dances until his body can move automatically. All he needs now is a boat-load of luck, a little bit of confidence, and the date of the audition.

Yamaguchi asks Lev and Hinata almost daily if they had heard anything about the audition date yet, but they always respond with a negative.

“Sorry Yamaguchi, but Suga hasn’t said much more about the auditions. Although he should be coming out with a poster of some sort soon!”

Yamaguchi sits and watches as Hinata puts on his makeup for the next number. Ennoshita probably had a list of things for him to do, but Yamaguchi can’t stay away from the glamour that is backstage.

“I sure hope the auditions are soon. I don’t think I can take much more of this waiting,” Yamaguchi says as he gathers up the empty drinks onto his tray.

“Oh my~ Does Waiter-kun want to audition for the part of a dancer?”

Oikawa walks into the room from his last number on stage, his eyes sharp and his body glistening with glitter and sweat.

Yamaguchi blushes at Oikawa’s question. The statement seems harmless, but there’s enough venom in the words that Yamaguchi feels guilty.

Hinata’s the one who answers Oikawa’s question, “Yeah! Yamaguchi’s been practicing the dance numbers, and he’s really good! I think there’s a high chance that if Suga sees him dance, he’ll hire Yamaguchi on the spot!”

Before Oikawa or Yamaguchi can respond, Daichi appears around the corner, “Hinata! You’re up let’s go!”

“Ah! Sorry, guys gotta go!”

Hinata bolts from the room, leaving Yamaguchi alone with Oikawa, who just continues to stare at Yamaguchi like he’s an interesting puzzle.

Not wanting to remain under Oikawa’s scrutiny much longer, Yamaguchi continues gathering up the empty cups, giving Oikawa a small smile as he walks past him out of the room.

“Let Iwa-chan know I’m expecting him!” Oikawa calls to Yamaguchi’s back.

The interaction sticks with Yamaguchi, even two weeks later as he’s on his way to work. It’s his turn to open up the lounge, and he finds himself wondering about Oikawa on his way to work.

When he arrives at work, however, all thoughts of Oikawa fly out of his mind. The stage is lit, and music is playing throughout the building. There are at least ten dancers on stage, dancing what Yamaguchi recognizes as the Wagon Wheel number. Yamaguchi also notices that Suga and Daichi are sitting at a table, stacks of paper in front of them before Yamaguchi draws up alongside the crowd of dancers who have gathered to watch.

“What…” Yamaguchi can barely process the scene in front of him, let alone speak.

“It’s the auditions. Apparently, Suga and Daichi just put out one ad in this morning's newspaper and had twelve dancers show up to audition,” Akaashi responds, not taking his eyes off the stage.

Yamaguchi remembers debating over whether or not to buy a newspaper with his coffee this morning. He had decided it wasn’t worth it and bought a muffin instead. How wrong he was.

Yamaguchi watches the proceedings long enough to see them wrap up the auditions, Suga and Daichi calling out their thanks and saying they’ll be in touch. Watching the dancers file off stage fills Yamaguchi determination, and he heads towards the employee room.

“Excuse me.”

He changes into more dance appropriate clothes and heads towards the sound booth, where he sees _Karasuno’s_ deejay, Tendou setting up for the night.

“Tendou, do you mind playing the audition song one more time? For me to dance to?”

A sly smile appears on Tendou’s face, and his eyes light up with interest, “Yamaguchi! Didn’t know you could dance. You’ve been holding out. This could be interesting,” he turns towards his soundboard. “The rest of the dancers auditioned with the choreography for the Wagon Wheel number, but I think you should blow them away with Express, yeah?” Tendou turns back to Yamaguchi, his smile turned maniacal.

Yamaguchi smiles hesitantly in return, “Thank you.”

Yamaguchi leaves the booth and nearly runs onto the stage, his bare feet not making any sound over Suga and Daichi’s conversation. He takes a deep breath and makes eye contact with Tendou. He nods, the music starts, and Yamaguchi’s body takes over.

Yamaguchi notices that all conversations in the room stop as he dances across the stage, body tuned to the music and hair flying. Soon enough Yamaguchi doesn’t even think about the audience he has and starts dancing for fun, adding his own flairs in time with the music. Dancing on a real stage is such a different experience that Yamaguchi couldn’t’ve wiped the smile off his face even if he tried.

Yamaguchi dances until he hears Suga shout at Tendou and the music cuts out. Yamaguchi stops and turns to face Suga, breath coming fast and his body feeling warm.

Suga breaks the silence. “You can dance.”

Yamaguchi nods. “And I already know all the dance numbers, so you don’t have to worry about teaching me the choreo.”

Suga and Daichi share a look before Daichi shrugs, and Suga says, “Welcome to the team.”

Yamaguchi starts at the hollers that come from behind Suga and Daichi, not realizing that the rest of the dancers had watched.

Yamaguchi blushes as he sees Hinata jumping, Kageyama scowling at the redhead but nodding at Yamaguchi when he makes eye contact. Yamaguchi also sees Bokuto hooting from behind Hinata, nearly hitting Lev and Akaashi with his raised fists. Akaashi, Lev, Yaku, Tanaka, Noya all clapping and smiling encouragingly. Although Noya cheers from atop Tanaka’s shoulders.

Daichi turns to everyone, silencing the cheers with his gaze. “Come on everyone; we’ve got a show to run! Noya, get off of Tanaka, and I want to see all the dancers in costume for the first number in ten minutes! Let’s go!” Daichi turns back to Yamaguchi, “Yamaguchi, follow me, and we’ll get you set up with all the costumes.”

As Yamaguchi steps off the stage, he notices Oikawa standing off to the side, gaze intense but unreadable. Yamaguchi’s smile falls as he watches Oikawa walk away without a word.

Daichi’s hand falling onto Yamaguchi’s shoulder knocks him out of his contemplation, as Daichi steers him towards backstage.

“We’re not expecting you to dance tonight; we want you to get comfortable dancing with everyone up on the stage, so we’ll just get your outfits sorted. Plus, you’ll need to tell Ennoshita the news, and he is most likely going to request that we hire another server,” he says with an eye roll. Although his fond smile contradicts how he stated the fact.

Yamaguchi’s nerves return in full at the idea of telling Ennoshita that he would no longer be working as a waiter. Ennoshita has been nothing but supportive of Yamaguchi practicing the dances, but Yamaguchi also knew that Ennoshita was eternally thankful for Yamaguchi’s help on the floor.

All thoughts are pushed out of his mind though when Daichi dumps sequined and bedazzled costumes in Yamaguchi’s arms.

“The pink one is for the first number, black corset for the third. Silver for the second number, and the props are for ‘Ms. Otis Regrets.’” Yamaguchi looks at Daichi with wide eyes. Daichi looks back nervously, “You’re not overwhelmed, are you?”

“No! No, I think I’m just in love.” Yamaguchi blushes at the confession, but Daichi just laughs.

“I’m glad. Just know that those costumes are now yours, so you have to wash them and take care of them and sew them if there are any rips. Feel free to keep them in the employee lounge, for now, just remember to take them home when you’re done your shift.”

Yamaguchi nods and begins to head back out to the floor, but Daichi stops him.

“Oh! I almost forgot. We practice the numbers every Tuesday through Friday, here, from one to four pm. Don’t be late!” and with that Daichi’s gone.

Yamaguchi walks back in a daze, his feet carrying him to his bag behind the bar, even if he just ends up staring at the costumes in his arms the whole way.

Yamaguchi takes one last longing look at the clothes as he zips them into his backpack, before he hears someone behind him, clearing their throat. He turns around and comes face-to-face with Ennoshita.

“And here I thought you were coming early to set up.”

Yamaguchi feels guilty for about 0.3 seconds before he notices the slight smile Ennoshita has, and Yamaguchi hesitantly smiles back.

“So, I guess you heard?”

Ennoshita’s smile grows, “Yeah. I ran into Noya on the way over. Congrats. Now help me set up these tables.”

Yamaguchi’s last shift as a waiter goes surprisingly well. No one gets mad at him, and when he goes backstage to deliver the dancers’ drinks, everyone congratulates him. But when the end of the night draws near, Yamaguchi can’t help the anxiousness he feels. He’s nearly shaking with excitement and nerves, and when some of the dancers bid him goodbye, Yamaguchi feels like he’s going to puke at the thought of dancing with them soon.

What if he’s not good enough? Sure, he knows the dances, but these people have been dancing for years, and Yamaguchi’s never danced with anyone else on stage before. What if he messes up and knocks someone off the stage?

Yamaguchi can feel his thoughts spiralling out of control, so he tries to shake them off, but it doesn’t work too well. As he’s passing Daichi and Suga, Yamaguchi catches some of their conversation and what he hears is enough to make him forget all about his nerves.

“Suga, you realize that even if we cut the number of dancers and raise the price of admission we still won’t have enough money to appease the bank.” Daichi’s voice echoes softly through the cracked door, and Yamaguchi freezes.

“I know Daichi, but what else are we supposed to do? Tell Ennoshita he can’t hire another waiter? When he’s already spread thin, and risk customer complaints? Fire the band? Make the band play all of the songs so that we can lay-off Tendou?”

“Suga, you can’t appease everyone.”

There’s silence after Daichi’s statement, and Yamaguchi leaves before he has a chance to hear any more.

Thoughts of the club and the dancers and the routines swirl around Yamaguchi’s head as he makes his way home, and they follow him as he falls asleep.

* * *

Ennoshita is ecstatic that Yamaguchi has gotten closer to his dream of performing professionally. The kid’s continuously dancing and talking about how he longs to be on stage. And yet a part of Ennoshita is mourning the loss of a good worker, and dreading the paperwork and process of hiring someone else. Daichi and Suga can say what they want, Ennoshita needs another waiter. Even a competent bartender would be helpful, and then he could just have Konoha work the floor.

Eight interviews later, Ennoshita’s staring at the resumes of the applicants, pulling at his hair in frustration that not one person had stood out. Social skills be damned, Ennoshita decides to go with the person who has the most experience, and dials Tsukishima Kei’s number.

His first night working at _Karasuno’s_ has Tsukishima more than a tad annoyed at his coworkers. The loud one who runs the ticket booth does not stop jumping around and asking for a free drink. One of the musicians from the band is arguing with an orange-haired dancer and increasing the noise tenfold, while the rest of the group just sits and laughs at them. Tsukishima already has a headache, and they haven’t even opened yet.

The rest of the dancers seem to be a very close-knit, somewhat pretentious group. A few of them have bugged Ennoshita for drinks, and the rest of them just ignore the rest of the staff. They’re currently arguing about the timing for a specific song, all but one of the dancers voicing their opinions.

The lone dancer has a plethora of freckles covering his face, and his dark hair is tied back, showing his soft smile as he watches his friends.

Tsukishima continues his appraisement of his coworkers while half-listening to Ennoshita explain the drink menu. His ruminating is interrupted by the lone dancer approaching the bar. Ennoshita stops his tirade on service etiquette when he notices the man.

“Yamaguchi! How’s the new life as a dancer treating you?”

Yamaguchi smiles at Ennoshita’s false hurt. “It’s amazing! And how has the new life as a trainer been treating you?” Yamaguchi’s eyes slip over to meet Tsukishima’s gaze before falling back to Ennoshita.

“Yamaguchi, meet Tsukishima, our new bartender. I’ve moved Konoha back to the wait staff, so it’s not overcrowded behind the bar.”

Yamaguchi gives a pitying chuckle at the news, “Oh, I’m sure Konoha is thrilled to be cleaning up tables and tripping over legs.”

Konoha, who Tsukishima met earlier and is currently talking to one of the band members, yells over to Yamaguchi, “I heard that!” Ennoshita and Yamaguchi laugh at his response, while Tsukishima is just confused as to how he could hear anything over the din created by all the shouting.

Tsukishima tunes out Yamaguchi and Ennoshita’s conversation and continues to familiarize himself with the drinks and the layout of the bar. Eventually, the dancers move backstage to get ready for the show, and the band begins to warm up. On his way out, Yamaguchi welcomes Tsukishima to _Karasuno_ , which leaves Tsukishima a little shocked at his sincerity and the fact that he remembered Tsukishima’s name. Suga and Daichi then came over to introduce themselves to Tsukishima, before leaving just as fast to open up for the night. And the people began to trickle in.

Tsukishima has been working as a bartender since he was legally allowed to. And while it isn’t his dream job, it certainly brings in enough tips to allow him to live comfortably in the better part of town. And he’s able to afford the fancier music equipment, so he doesn’t complain. Because he has been working as a bartender for so long, he has also seen many establishments and themes and tacky outfits. Tsukishima has a certain expectation for the _Karasuno Burlesque Lounge_ , but it turns out to be better than he thought.

The ambience and atmosphere were livelier than he anticipated, but it suited the place. And the music may not have been his preferred genre, but it was decent, and the performances were well thought out and put together. There were a few times where Tsukishima found himself having to physically look away from the dancers, as their movements are quite mesmerizing.

About halfway through the night, there’s a lull in orders, so Tsukishima indulges and watches one performance. There is no denying that the dancers are good, and _Karasuno_ has some quality entertainment, even if they are a little hole-in-the-wall.

It’s then that Ennoshita comes over with a list of drinks, “These are the drink orders for the dancers. They’re allowed one drink on the house once a week if they so choose, and the majority of them make use of that. It’d be best to have this list memorized, and it’d be even better if you wouldn’t mind taking the drinks backstage once you’re done making them.”

Tsukishima nods in response to Ennoshita, then scowls at the list once Ennoshita has turned away, and begins making the drinks.

Walking backstage, Tsukishima scowls once again and tries to scrounge up enough patience to dodge everyone as he makes his way to the dancers change room. His memory of the tour he had and Ennoshita’s directions help him find the dancer’s area, but as he rounds the last corner, he bumps into someone.

Three drinks on Tsukishima’s tray are knocked over- the liquid landing on the person he hit- before Tsukishima regains his balance and stops the other drinks from spilling. Tsukishima had a scathing remark about the other person’s abilities on the tip of his tongue when he gets a closer look at the person he bumped into. It’s the dancer with all the freckles, Yamaguchi. His eyes are glistening with unshed tears as he babbles, “I am so, so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to bump into you I had no idea you were coming around the corner, and I’m just really sorry. Oh god, and on your first shift too. Let me help you-”

Yamaguchi’s interrupted by Daichi, who Tsukishima can’t see but he can certainly hear yell; “Yamaguchi! On in two!”

Yamaguchi squeaks, eyes falling down to his sticky, and quite frankly ruined, outfit. He looks back up at Tsukishima, who just raises an eyebrow in response.

Yamaguchi steels his expression and nods to himself before taking Tsukishima’s tray and placing it on a table behind him. He then grabs Tsukishima’s wrist and pulls him into an adjoining hallway, filled with nothing but clothes, making the space quite cramped and Tsukishima more aware of his and Yamaguchi’s slight height difference.

“I’m sorry to drag you into this, but I need help finding another outfit exactly like this one. Size six. I won’t be able to find it in time if it’s just me looking, so, would you mind helping?”

The shared space and Yamaguchi’s breath ghosting over his face make Tsukishima feel a little dizzy, but he nods in assent. The brilliant smile Yamaguchi flashes in response only seems to worsen the dizziness.

Shaking off his befuddlement, Tsukishima turns to the rack of clothes behind him, trying to distinguish between all the cloth as he looks for the outfit Yamaguchi needs. Trying to steal surreptitious glances, Tsukishima notes that the outfit they’re looking for is a black, leather-type corset...thing? Tsukishima has no idea how that thing is even comfortable, let alone how Yamaguchi can pull it off.

Turning back to the racks, Tsukishima begins to look in earnest as he hears Daichi yelling for Yamaguchi to hurry up if he wants to get on stage. The words seem to send Yamaguchi into a frenzy, as he frantically begins pulling clothes off their hangers, looking for the right outfit and size.

Surprisingly enough, it’s Tsukishima who finds the garment, not a moment later.

“Is this it?” he asks, turning to face Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi turns and gives a soft exclamation of surprise, “Yes! Yes, that’s it.”

He then begins stripping, peeling off his sodden clothes, his elbows knocking into Tsukishima who freezes in surprise. Yamaguchi nearly rips the outfit out of Tsukishima’s hands and begins to tie it up, before slowing and turning his back to Tsukishima.

“Could you, um, would you mind lacing it up? I have a hard time tightening it near my shoulders.”

Tsukishima puzzles over the change in demeanour in Yamaguchi as he laces up his outfit, fingers moving on their own and trying not to touch too much of the freckled skin. Tsukishima finishes lacing Yamaguchi up just as Daichi comes around the corner.

“There you are! Come on, let’s go. They’re about to go on stage.”

“Ah! Sorry Daichi, coming!” Yamaguchi turns to follow Daichi, speaking quickly over his shoulder to Tsukishima as he leaves, “I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi, and thank you Tsukki!”

Tsukishima frowns as he finds himself yet again, in a state of shock because of Yamaguchi. Deciding that delivering the dancer’s drinks isn’t that important, Tsukishima just shakes his head and walks back out to the bar. If he keeps half an eye on Yamaguchi’s performance on the way back, that’s his business.

And Yamaguchi’s performance is pretty good. He and two other dancers are grooving and lip syncing to the track of a song Tsukishima doesn’t recognize but enjoys. And it looks like Yamaguchi is having fun… until the music cuts out.

* * *

Yamaguchi’s on his second week as a dancer on an actual stage, and he already finds himself almost in tears. Having technical difficulties, and the music cutting out is every performer's nightmare, but Yamaguchi is living in a personal hell.

As Yamaguchi looks toward the soundbooth to see what the trouble is, he sees Oikawa. Holding the wire that should’ve been connected to the speakers and microphones.

Yamaguchi can understand being a bit jealous, maybe even vengeful, if a dancer from the middle-of-nowhere replaces an experienced dancer. But pulling out the music because Yamaguchi is dancing instead of Oikawa in this particular number is a bit much.

The audience continues to murmur in discontent as Yamaguchi notices the curtain lowering.

All thoughts of Oikawa cease, and Yamaguchi tries to think of any way to stay on the stage just a minute longer. He glances around the room, making brief eye contact with Ennoshita, who looks remorseful, Iwaizumi, who glances towards the booth and looks livid, Asahi, who looks scared. It’s when Yamaguchi looks at Asahi and the rest of the band that he remembers all the discussions with Suga about singing, and he gets an idea.

Yamaguchi sends out a prayer that Suga will forgive him, takes one last glance at the falling curtain, before he takes a deep breath and sings.

The audience goes silent, and Yamaguchi hesitates, still hearing Suga’s words in his ears. But the curtain has stopped moving, so Yamaguchi continues. The words to Tough Lover pouring effortlessly out of his throat, hours of singing the song in the shower paying off.

Yamaguchi hears Kenma bang out a couple of chords on the piano, and he smiles in the knowledge that he is not alone. Asahi joins in next on the drums, and Kageyama and Komi aren’t far behind.

Yamaguchi can’t keep the smile off his face, and he walks down the stage, maintaining eye contact with some of the band members and gradually speeding up the tempo of the song. The band effortlessly keeps pace and Yamaguchi can no longer stay still. He starts dancing around the stage, just moving his body to the beat. He subconsciously notices Ennoshita, Konoha, Narita and Kinoshita to start clapping along, and Yamaguchi turns around in surprise when he hears Lev and Hinata begin to sing some backup vocals.

The song grows, and the energy from the audience enlivens Yamaguchi even more. It’s the first time in a long time he’s dancing while singing, and he’s finding it hard to catch his breath, but he wouldn’t stop even if he passed out. 

When the song ends, and the curtain finally goes down, Yamaguchi is bombarded with praise when he gets backstage. Hinata latched onto him immediately after the last note and hadn’t let go. Yamaguchi’s just glad Lev didn’t try the same thing.

Daichi’s voice cuts across the din, “Alright, alright! The boy can sing, but that doesn’t mean we all abandon our jobs and stop the show.”

Before Daichi can say much more, Tanaka interrupts, “The boy can sing?! Daichi, aren’t you selling him a little short? My boy can bring down the house with his set of lungs! Suga, he might even be a better singer than you.”

It’s then that Yamaguchi notices Suga standing off to the side. Yamaguchi may not know the reason that Suga has them lip-sync, but he does know that Suga has shut down all of Yamaguchi’s suggestions to actually sing. 

“Suga, I know you don’t want me to sing, but I couldn’t just-the curtain was-I didn’t want-”

Yamaguchi feels himself getting more flustered by the second, but Suga just gives him a calm smile.

“You didn’t tell me you could sing like that. If you sing like that on a regular basis?” Suga shakes his head in disbelief. “We have a new show to plan.”

Now Yamaguchi really starts to feel his face hurt, and his eardrums are beginning to ring from all the cheers of his coworkers. Daichi looks unimpressed and harassed at the commotion Suga’s statement caused, but even he has a smile on his face.

But the show must go on, so the buzz eventually dies down as everyone goes back to performing. After the last number and the final customer goes home, Suga pulls Yamaguchi away from the change room and into his office. 

Suga closes the door, so the noise from outside is muffled, and turns to Yamaguchi, “I meant what I said, Yamaguchi. And I agree with Tanaka. You have a powerful set of lungs, and if we could build a show around you, there’s a possibility that we’ll gain more people and not have to sell the club.”

Yamaguchi’s shocked silence must’ve worried Suga, for he gently prompted, “Yamaguchi? What do you say?”

Yamaguchi comes out of his stupor, “Oh my god, yes! Suga that is more than I’ve ever dreamed of you have no idea thank you so much! I would love to sing!” Yamaguchi dials back his excitement as he continued, “But, was the club really in that much danger of closing that we have to create a new show? I mean. Ennoshita was saying we didn’t have enough staff and I’ve noticed that the nights can be slow, but they’ve been steady. Were you...really going to sell the club?” Yamaguchi can not picture Suga ever selling the club. He’s the newest dance member, and even he can see the blood, sweat and tears that Suga and Daichi poured into the club. Yamaguchi doesn’t even know if Suga has a house, he seems to live at the club.

Suga gives a defeated sigh, “I have done everything in my power to save the club from going under, but we’re behind on payments, and there are quite a few businessmen interested in our location. But I will die before I sell. And you don’t need to worry about the club. You just keep dancing, and everything will be fine. I want you to talk to the band about what you’re range is and after choreo practices, I want you to practice songs with the band. You’ve got a lot more responsibility on your shoulders now; I hope you can handle it.”

* * *

Practice becomes more tense, yet more comfortable and exciting. Yamaguchi has found a place where he can fit, and a place where he can bring his talents to the club. His new singing also allows some conversation that doesn’t feel disjunct.

But the cold air that permeates the space (because of Oikawa) is chilling. When Yamaguchi starts warming up on the stage, he can feel the black aura coming off of Oikawa from the opposite side, and it feels like he walked into the Arctic. 

But then Suga comes in, and they all get to work. Almost all their routines and positions have changed, and it’s evident that people are trying, but everyone’s a little short tempered. After a particularly disastrous run of “Guy What Takes his Time” Suga reaches the end of his rope.

“Alright! We’re taking a ten-minute break, and then we’re going through the entire piece again, but this time like the professionals we are.” No one feels soothed by the smile Suga gives after his speech.

Yamaguchi slinks off closer to the band, hoping to get in some more vocal practice. He’s still having a hard time with the entrances and glides. He takes a deep breath, trying to ease the tension in his limbs, and gives a small smile to Asahi, as he comes into view.

It turns out Hinata beat him to the band, so Yamaguchi waits until his discussion with Kageyama finishes and takes stock of what everyone else is up to.

The other dancers are getting a drink or just stretching on stage, and Yamaguchi almosts turns back to strike up a conversation with Asahi, but movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention.

Suga and Oikawa are standing by the entrance to backstage, having what appears to be a heated argument. Yamaguchi furrows his brow at the almost murderous expression Suga is wearing before it smoothes out into full-blown concern. Yamaguchi has no clue what they’re talking about, and can’t see Oikawa’s face to get a clue, but he becomes worried as well when Suga places a placating arm on Oikawa’s shoulder and leads him into the office.

Yamaguchi turns to Hinata, “Um, Hinata? Is something up with Suga and Oikawa?”

Hinata hums in thought, “Well, they could be worried about losing the club or Oikawa’s knee acting up again.”

Yamaguchi blinks in surprise. “Oikawa’s knee?”

“Yeah!” Hinata leans in conspiratorially, “A couple of years back, Oikawa overworked himself and messed up his knee. Suga as furious and made Oikawa promise that if he wanted to dance at Karasuno again, he’d have to tell Suga whenever his knee didn’t feel too good.”

Kageyama says something about Hinata not knowing anything, so Yamaguchi is spared from having to respond to the information Hinata just gave him; which Yamaguchi counts as a blessing because he has no idea how to react to something that big. Yamaguchi suddenly understands why Oikawa hates him so much. To put so much work into dancing that your body gives out on you takes serious dedication and countless hours. And then to have all that work replaced by someone with less experience? Not to mention that Suga, the one who helped found _Karasuno_ with Oikawa, was the one who changed up the entire dance routines just for Yamaguchi. If Yamaguchi was in Oikawa’s place, he doesn’t think he would’ve stopped at just pulling out the sound during one performance.

Suga and Oikawa walk back out from the office, Oikawa blowing kisses to everyone as he grabs his stuff and leaves, saying something about appointments and house parties. Suga walks back to the stage, clapping his hands to bring everyone attention. “Breaks over! Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Everyone gets into their starting positions for “Guy What Takes His Time,” Yamaguchi kicking himself for wasting the break.

Practice ends with everyone tired, but in good spirits, as they had successfully run through all of the songs. Yamaguchi is gathering his stuff, chatting with Bokuto and Akaashi about the last number they had done, “But I Am A Good Girl,” when Suga calls out to him.

“Yamaguchi! Could I speak to you a sec, before you go?”

“Sure!” Those words send a chill down Yamaguchi’s spine, but he brushes off his fears and walks towards Suga’s office.

Yamaguchi enters the room to find Suga hunched over a bunch of papers, expression pinched and fingers rubbing at his temples.

“You had something you wanted to talk about?”

Suga jumps in surprise, but clears his throat and pretends that didn’t happen, “Yes, actually. There’s a couple of songs I want you to look over. The band already knows the music, and I think they’d be good songs to sing solo.”

Yamaguchi nearly has a heart attack, “S-solo...songs? You want me to sing solos?!”

Suga gives him a cheeky smile, passing over a stack of sheet music.

Yamaguchi reverently takes the paper, and starts flipping through it before a thought occurs to him, “Um, Suga? Why did you choose to hire me? As a dancer, I mean.”

Suga gives Yamaguchi a contemplative look before stating outright, “Because you look like you’re having fun when you dance. You put in the work to get the dances right, but even if you didn’t get the choreography down, your performance would still be amazing because of the passion that’s in every one of your movements. It’s captivating.”

At the end of Suga’s speech, Yamaguchi's face is on fire, and he doesn’t even bother trying to respond. He just gives an awkward bow, using the sheet papers to hide his face, and fumbles out of the room.

Yamaguchi takes a deep breath once he leaves the room, trying to control the blush on his face, although it returns full-force when he notices Tsukishima staring at him from behind the bar.

Hoping to fend off an awkward situation, Yamaguchi walks over to the bar, waving at Tsukishima.

“Hey! Are you opening up tonight? Do you need any help?”

If Tsukishima notices the blush on Yamaguchi’s face, he doesn’t comment, choosing instead to answer the question Yamaguchi asked, “Yeah. I’m helping Konoha get the bar ready.” There’s a pause, then Tsukishima continues, “What’re you up to?”

“Just going to get a bite to eat before we open. Do you need any help?”

Tsukishima shakes his head.

“I did start working here as a waiter, so I know a bit about the opening procedure, but if you’re sure you don’t need my help…”

Yamaguchi can feel a teasing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, but Konoha walks out from the storage room behind the bar, waving a clipboard.

“Look! I told you I’d find it-Oh. Yamaguchi, how are you on this fine evening?”

Yamaguchi laughs at Konoha’s shift into a more dignified voice, and adopts a haughty air, “Quite well, if you must know. But the most terrifying person greeted me in such a crude manner.”

“Hey!” Konoha drops the act and points a finger in Yamaguchi’s face, “I take offence to that.” It is a little hard to believe Konoha though, as he has the biggest smile on his face that Yamaguchi has ever seen. “Man, Yamaguchi you gotta come hang out more! We miss your spirit out on the floor.”

Yamaguchi laughs and wonders if the blush on his face is going to become a permanent fixture on his face, “Thanks, Konoha, that means a lot to me. Although flattery will not get me to take over your shifts on the floor.”

Konoha smacks the table, “Dammit! Thought I had ya. Anyway, aren’t you normally out eating that garbage you call food at this hour?”

Yamaguchi just gives Konoha a Look that he hopes portrays his frustration through his blush, “Anyway I do need to get some food before tonight, so I better head out. Sorry I couldn’t help you more Tsukki! Bye!” Yamaguchi waves, and then practically runs out of the building, not bothering to hear if Konoha or Tsukishima reply.

Everyone is nervous for the performances that night, and while they don’t ‘go off without a hitch’ they are very well received by the audience, and any mishap that does happen is minor and easily fixed.

Yamaguchi takes his time getting undressed after the show, his voice a little hoarse and his muscles feeling the strain of the workout. When Yamaguchi’s finally ready to leave, Suga, Daichi, Tsukishima and Ennoshita are the only other people left in the building. Although Yamaguchi only sees Ennoshita and Tsukishima, he doesn’t see Suga and Daichi. But he’s also never seen them leave the club, so they’re probably around somewhere.

Yamaguchi wanders over to the bar, leaning over the counter to watch as Tsukishima cleans and counts the bottles. 

Tsukishima gives him a questioning glance, and something that could count as a smile, but doesn’t say anything and just continues with his work.

Yamaguchi watches him for a bit longer before speaking, “I never properly thanked you for helping me the other night, with my outfit. So. Thank you. And I also never apologized, so I’m also sorry for bumping into you, and I would like to make it up to you in any way you’d like. Consider it an IOU. Or a favour. But I won’t do anything illegal, and I only have so much money, so I can’t buy you a sports car or anything-”

A cough from Ennoshita stops the flow of words, and Yamaguchi looks sheepishly at Tsukishima (who seems somewhat amused).

“Sorry, Tsukki. I tend to ramble when I get nervous-” Yamaguchi then realizes what he’s said and slaps a hand over his mouth. “Sorry, Tsukki! I mean- Sorry I didn’t mean to call you Tsukki-Tsukishima! Sorry. Gosh, why is it so intimidating to talk to people.” Yamaguchi mumbles that last bit under his breath although he’s pretty sure Tsukishima heard him, because his response is somewhat out of character for what Yamaguchi’s observed Tsukishima to be like.

“I don’t mind. And you don’t have to worry about owing me any favours.”

Tsukishima is looking down at his hands, so Yamaguchi can’t make out his expression, but he still feels compelled to say, “At least let me buy you a meal sometime? As a ‘thank you,’ but also as a sort of ‘Welcome to Karasuno’ thing.”

Tsukishima gives a slow nod, and Yamaguchi feels his face split into a grin, “Thanks, Tsukki! See you tomorrow!”

Yamaguchi leaves Tsukishima blinking in surprise, and misses the look Ennoshita gives his back as he leaves the lounge and heads home.

* * *

The next couple weeks pass in a similar fashion. Practice is hard, and everyone's patience is tested, but the performances become smoother and more polished. Yamaguchi starts practicing solo songs, and one his favourite songs to sing is “Bound To You.” Although he doesn’t feel confident singing it yet, so he’s begging Suga to give him a couple more weeks to work on the song. 

After the performances, Yamaguchi spends some time chatting with Tsukishima. It mostly starts out as Yamaguchi blathering on about anything and everything, but Tsukishima gradually warms up to him and shows how sharp his wit (and tongue) can be.

Yamaguchi learns that Tsukishima has always been a bartender, but also dabbles in music (and has refused to show Yamaguchi anything he has written, which Yamaguchi respects but is so curious about.) Tsukishima knows a lot about dinosaurs, played volleyball in middle and high school, likes strawberry shortcake, dislikes ‘hotblooded’ people, and has an older brother that he is insanely tight-lipped about, so Yamaguchi doesn’t probe when the conversation comes up.

Through Yamaguchi, Tsukishima also begins to warm up to the other dancers. More of them are willing to approach Tsukishima if Yamaguchi is there, and even with his dislike of ‘hotblooded’ people, Yamaguchi can tell that Tsukishima starts to enjoy the company of the other dancers. Yamaguchi guesses as much, as Tsukishima becomes more liberal with his snide remarks, becoming more comfortable with the company enough to loosen his tongue. Hinata and Kageyama bear the brunt of his remarks majority of the time, and it’s not Yamaguchi’s fault if they’re easy to rile up and poke fun of.

With Yamaguchi’s success as a dancer and now singer, Yamaguchi almost forgets how stressful things had been when he first moved to L.A. He’s forcibly reminded when Ushijima shows up at the club, after hours, while Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, Hinata and Kageyama are talking. 

It’s the first time Yamaguchi has met Ushijima, but he can immediately tell who he is by the confidence he exudes (but also by the fact that Iwaizumi is trailing behind him). Hinata simultaneously pales in fear, and puffs up in anger. Even Tsukishima reads the tense atmosphere, his expression becoming closed off.

“What are you doing here?!” Hinata brashly scolds.

“Is Sugawara around?” Ushijima doesn’t even bother addressing Hinata’s question, he just gazes at their group, like he’s expecting Sugawara to pop out from behind one of them. “I have business to discuss with him.”

When Hinata doesn’t drop his aggressive stance, and Kageyama doesn’t move, Yamaguchi decides to take the lead.

“H-He’s probably in his office. I can take you there if you like?” Ushijima’s gaze falls heavy and expectant on Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi doesn’t wait for a verbal response, he just leads the way.

Yamaguchi knocks on Suga’s office, cracking open the door after hearing an affirmative and sees Suga, Daichi and Oikawa gathered around Suga’s desk before Ushijima shoulders past.

“Sugawara, I have some business matters to discuss with you, if you’re not busy at the moment.”

Suga sighs, his expression tightening before he turns to Yamaguchi, “Thanks, Yamaguchi, I can take it from here.”

Yamaguchi nods his head and closes the door as he leaves. He stands awkwardly outside the room for a moment, his weight shifting from foot to foot as he debates hanging around to eavesdrop. But Yamaguchi doesn’t have much he can say to Ushijima, and it is rude to eavesdrop so he just walks back out to the main floor.

Hinata and Kageyama are nowhere to be found, but Tsukishima is waiting by the doors, and he looks up as Yamaguchi enters.

He doesn’t say anything, but Yamaguchi can see the questions in his eyes.

“That was Ushijima Wakatoshi. He owns Shiratorizawa, the real estate agency, and he's been looking to buy this place from Suga for ages.”

Yamaguchi sighs, trying to forget the stress that comes with talking about the future of the club.

Tsukishima raises an eyebrow at the sigh, but again, doesn’t say anything as Yamaguchi looks at him sheepishly.

“Sorry. A lot on my mind. Wanna go eat something?” Yamaguchi pulls Tsukishima out of the club by the hand before he has a chance to respond, “Come on, my treat.”

They find a food truck a couple blocks away (surprisingly open), and wander around, sharing the fries once they finish their paninis.

The conversation ambles much like they do; with no destination in mind and no thoughts to the turns the conversation makes. They eventually wind up in front of Yamaguchi’s building.

“Thanks for walking with me Tsukki. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Tsukishima rolls his eyes. “We both work tomorrow.”

Yamaguchi smiles in response and throws a “Later Tsukki!” over his shoulder as he walks into his building

The sun is just brightening the sky when Tsukishima makes it home.

* * *

Yamaguchi always says ‘hi’ to Tsukishima before he starts his shift. If he’s running late (which is rare), he waves and yells out his greeting as he runs backstage. If he’s early (which is typical) and has time, he’ll sit at the bar and talk as he watches Tsukishima set up. But no matter what, he always says ‘hi’ to Tsukishima.

Today must be the only exception.

There’s late for work, and then there’s so-late-for-work-you-might-as-well-not-show-up-for-your-shift and Yamaguchi is toeing the line between the two. 

A couple of the dancers are visibly nervous but trying not to act like it. They flit up to the bar, claiming they just want a drink but then they don’t order a thing and just let their eyes roam over the entire place before they don’t see what they were looking for (re: Yamaguchi) and their expression falls as they run backstage.

Tsukishima finds this behaviour incredibly annoying, as the movement always fools him into thinking someone new has entered the _Lounge_ and stops his work to check the person walking by. Tsukishima tells himself that he’s annoyed at all the movement because it’s distracting him from his work, but the disappointment that sits in his stomach tells a different story.

A few minutes later, and _The Lounge_ is officially open to customers, and the performances start in two minutes. Tsukishima now has orders to make that he should focus on, but he still catches himself staring at the door.

Thirty seconds until curtain up and Tsukishima’s door-gazing pays off, as he spots Yamaguchi enter the building and start moving along the far wall. Yamaguchi has his head down as he walks, and Tsukishima’s gaze unconsciously follows him, hoping Yamaguchi will wave a little or something. But Yamaguchi doesn’t even make eye contact and just slips backstage.

Tsukishima feels a little miffed as Yamaguchi disappears from sight, and the feeling doesn’t go away as he watches Yamaguchi perform throughout the rest of the night. 

Yamaguchi smiles throughout all his performances, and sings and dances with the same amount of passion that Tsukishima normally notices. Yamaguchi is every bit the professional dancer. But that just makes it harder for Tsukishima to tell if Yamaguchi is mentally of physically hurting, and Tsukishima grows more and more terse as the night wears on. Konoha avoids him for the majority of their shift. Tsukishima ignores him. He serves his last customer and starts shutting down the bar, rushing through the process as much as he can.

Once he finishes, Tsukishima stations himself by the exit of the _Lounge_ , hoping to catch Yamaguchi on his way out, even if Yamaguchi wants to avoid him. Turns out Tsukishima didn’t need to rush, as Yamaguchi is the last dancer to walk out from backstage. (The worst part about waiting was watching all the other dancers walk by, looking at Tsukishima with what can only be described with pity, and it sets his teeth on edge.)

When Yamaguchi finally makes it out, Tsukishima is ready to bite his head off. But all the scathing words dry up on his tongue when Yamaguchi makes it into earshot, and just murmurs a soft, “Hey” at the floor. 

Tsukishima feels the tension leave his body. He says nothing, just turns towards the exit and starts walking, checking over his shoulder to see if Yamaguchi follows.

When he notices that Yamaguchi doesn’t move, he stops and says, “You look pathetic standing there. I’m treating you to supper tonight.”

Yamaguchi snaps out of his daze and jogs over to Tsukishima, “Sorry, Tsukki.”

Tsukishima just responds with his regular, “Shut up Yamaguchi.”

They walk to the twenty-four-hour convenience store down the road, Tsukishima buying a club sandwich for himself and a chicken wrap for Yamaguchi. They eat as they walk, Tsukishima automatically heading towards Yamaguchi’s house, the air between them silent.

Nothing is said as they come to a stop in front of Yamaguchi’s door, Tsukishima expecting him to wave goodbye and disappear into the building. None of that happens. Instead, Yamaguchi takes a deep breath and speaks a quiet, “I…got evicted” to the floor.

Tsukishima blinks in surprise, “I’m sorry?”

“I got e-evicted. I don’t have anywhere t-to live.”

“Your landlord didn’t even give you a couple days notice? Or let you get your stuff?”

Yamaguchi shrugs, still not looking at Tsukishima.

“And what do you think telling me will do about it?”

Yamaguchi flinches, expression guilty. “I don’t know what I was thinking. Sorry, Tsukki. You don’t have to worry about me!”

Tsukishima takes in the sight of Yamaguchi’s forced smile and sighs, “You can sleep on my couch until you find a new place.”

Yamaguchi’s mouth gapes open, “A-are you sure?! I really don’t want to be a bother and I know you like your space and I’ve never been to your house before-”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I minded.” And that ends that conversation. Yamaguchi just follows Tsukishima as he turns in the direction of his place, stare levelled at Tsukishima’s back as he wonders what’s going through his mind. 

When they reach Tsukishima’s place, Yamaguchi stares at the dark house with curiosity.

“Do you live here by yourself Tsukki?”

Tsukishima just gives a sharp nod, opening the door. Yamaguchi hurries after him, shutting the door behind him and awkwardly standing in the front hall as Tsukishima turns on various lights and sheds his jacket.

Yamaguchi toes off his shoes when it becomes apparent that Tsukishima won’t formally invite him inside, and avidly looks around the place.

It’s relatively clean, but not tidy.There’s no dirty dishes lying around but there are articles of clothes scattered about and pictures that give the place a very lived-in feel. The kitchen is just a bartop counter with a sink, a fridge and a stove. The living room takes up the majority of the space, and holds a chaise lounge, and a loveseat that looks incredibly comfortable.

Tsukishima moves around the place with familiarity, opening a door to what Yamaguchi assumes is a closet and grabbing blankets and pillows.

“You can sleep on the couch, even if it might be a little small. Bathroom’s over there-” Tsukishima gestures to a white door behind him, “towels are in the closet with more blankets if you need them. I normally do laundry at a laundromat down the road, but there are machines in the building.” He pauses. “I don’t have an extra toothbrush.”

Yamaguchi clutches the blankets and pillows to his chest, “This is more than okay. Thank you.”

Tsukishima gives a decisive nod, before turning towards his bedroom. “I’ll just...see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Yamaguchi”

“‘Night, Tsukki.”

Tsukishima wakes up the next morning, still bleary-eyed, and is greeted by the smell of burnt eggs, and the sight of Yamaguchi timidly shoving the hopeless meal into the garbage.

“Um...wanna go out for food?”

Tsukishima has to quash down the thought of adorable that his sleep-addled mind can’t quite fight off before nodding in agreement. And from there, they set up a routine that both scares and comforts Tsukishima.


End file.
